Proper Treatment and Care for Bunions

Although often the brunt of old people jokes, bunions are a serious condition that can cause considerable pain. What exactly is a bunion? A bunion most often appears as bump on the side of the big toe, but that bump is just the outward physical sign of changes that have occurred in the bony framework of the foot. A bunion begins when a toe is misaligned, usually due to an inherited defect in the mechanical structure of the foot, and the pressure of walking causes the big toe to lean towards the second toe. As time goes on, the toe gets more and more out of line, gradually changing the angle of the bone and producing the telltale bump on the side of the toe. Bunions will appear red and inflamed and patients experience pain and burning at the site of the bunion and sometimes numbness.